oh golly, oh gee

today has been a great day. a day of celebration. a day of excitement. a day of busyness. but what is mostly on my mind and my heart is the fact that this is a day of goodbyes - bittersweet goodbyes.

today marks the last day of my first "academic" year at howard payne university. i have loved my job since day one and nothing has changed to this day. i was blessed with a great group of students to work with, to serve with and to do life with. this evening we had our end-of-year ra party where we got together to chat about and reflect on this past year - we also honored our students with gifts, awards and words of thanks. i am not one to cry in front of people so i knew i could handle a few words tonight; however, being by myself this evening is another story.

sometimes i wish i would have stopped and have a conversation with a resident - to be there for a lending ear, a huge hug, or an encouraging moment. sometimes i wish i would have spent more time in the evenings walking the halls, knocking on doors or going to all of the campus events. sometimes i wish....

but i live with no regrets - only hopes to be "more" next year.

to my ra's - i say thank you. i will miss you terribly this summer - our talks, our bonds, and our learning from one another. i send my prayers and love with you as you begin a new season of life.